1. Field
This invention relates generally to a milling system for cutting contours in a workpiece.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Multiple-spindle milling systems are known for use in vertical drilling operations and generally include two or more drill spindles supported for rotation on a head and carrying respective drill bits so that two or more closely-spaced holes can be drilled in one operation. Multiple-spindle CNC gantry-type milling systems are known to include two or more spindles that move in unison to produce identical parts in a concurrent and parallel process on a single bed. Such systems are capable of producing two or more parts in the same cycle time in which a comparable single spindle machine can produce only a single part. Also known in the art are multi-axis lathes that include machine operating systems and controllers programmed to simultaneously drill and mill or lathe a single part.